Telephone instrument



Jan. 11, 1955 P. J. THOMAS ET AL 2,699,469 TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT Filed May 25, 1951 2 She'ets-Sheet l i, NIH

,QTTOR/VEYS Jan. l1, 1955 P. J. THOMAS ET AL- TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT Filed May 23, 1951 Immun. A?

i 51 11 l m @a 10 jj United States Patent TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT" Philip ;J.\"].`l1omas,` Plantsville; and LeoflF. Geremia, :Wal-

lingford, Conn., assignorslto ConnecticutTelephone andElectric Corporation, `Meriden, Conn., a corporation` of' Delaware Application May 23,1951, SerialiNo. 227,886 6 Claims (Cl.` 179;-100) This invention relates to :alstructurally and functionally' improved telephone rinstrument.

It is;v a primary object to furnish-ina unit of this character alstructuresuch that theparts may be adjusted andinspected without itjbeing necessary to disconnect the instrument; the desired corrections and .adjustments beingl capable of achievement t without lundesired signal and other impulses being transmitted to the line. Also, by means of the present teachings it will be feasibleto utilize the instrument for` either incoming or outgoing calls despite the fact that the parts lhavebeenopened'for inspection and adjustment.

A further object is that of providing a telephone instrument in t which positive snap-action type switches rather than leaf-typespring assemblies vmay be employed so ,that freedom from all difficulties inconnection with the latter type switch is achieved.

With these and other objects in mindrefereneeis had to the attached sheets of drawings illustrating onepractical embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a-plan view ofa telephone base;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side View ltaken alongthe `line 2-2` andin the direction oft-the arrows as indicated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken along the` line 3-3 and in the direction of the arrows as also indicated in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan view; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a part of Ytheassembly as shown in Fig. 3 but illustratingtthe mechanism in a different position.

In` theseviews the referencenumeral indicates the base of the instrument which may-be provided with supports 11. Accordingly, the assembly conveniently rests upon a surface such asta` desk` or table. However, by extending securing elements such as screws orv bolts through the base theentire instrument may be supported upon a vertical surface such as awall; Acover or casing 12 is normally secured against movement with respect to the base 10 by, for example,` bolts 13. This cover is entirely removable from thesbase. As shown, it preferably includes'a sloping'front face 14 formed with an opening through which a dial 15 of any desired type is exposed; this dial conveniently extending substantially flush with the face of surface 14 when the cover is in mounted position. Surface 14 extends to one side of the assembly. A cradle portion extends to the other side of the center of that assembly and is preferably sloped in a direction opposite to that in which the surface 14 extends.

The cradle portion conveniently includes supporting surfaces 16 through which movable actuators 17 pro-- ject. To each end of this surface fork portions are disposed. One of these fork portions may include a pair of pyramidal projections 18. The other embraces similarly surfaced projections 19 one of which is continued in the form of a ridge portion 20. Beyond each end of surface 16 the casing is relatively recessed as indicated at 21. That recess which is beyond or above the area of the dial is hollowed out or undercut as indicated at 22. Ridge portion 20 defines the outer edge of this socketed part or recess.

A hand set of conventional type is to be associated with this cradle portion. Such hand set embraces enlarged portions 23 and 24 at its opposite ends connected by an intermediate portion 25. The part 23 provides a housing for the ear piece or receiver unit. Recess 22 has its surfaces conformed so as to cooperate with and '2,699,469 P'ten'ted Jan.. 11, 1955 ICC support the surfaces Vof portion 23, At-iits loppositelend the Aenlarged portion 24 ofthe hand set l furnishes; ahous# ing for thertransmitting unit of the telephone.` As shown intdotted lines these several parts laresupportedlby fthe cradle portionwhether the `instrument `be disposed'up'on a-horizontal1 or vertical surface. Due to the-:sloping nature of thetcradle Isurface it willbe apparent that when the instrument is `supported t on :a 4wall t the. receiverl housing `part will` extend intothe recess andtthehand set will pivot so .that `its bo'dypressesagainst1and-retracts thef` plungers ..17 extending Aupwardlybeyond the Acradle sur ace:

Obviously the same .result will occurtwhenttheassem-.i

matically reaches a properly mounted position.` Inttthat= position the intermediate portion 25 will bear. .I against plungers117 toA project them inwardly.

The mechaism lcontainedxupon. the base and lwithinI the casing has only been shownin` somewhat diagram'- maticw manner. Also the circuit t within which'. this mechanism issembraced has not been'illustrated. Suice itfto say.' that in thellatter 'it islpreferably of .a conven-L tional nature and that the mechanism mayalsobe .conventional and include'a capacitator, antlnductloncoiland' the usual assembly operated by the rotation `ofthe dial. However, contrary toconventional teachings, in lieu I of employing a double pole; single `throw switchA of .the customary leaf spring ttype itis proposed `to utilize-snap.- action `type switchesl of` the'` so-called` microy class.

Thesethavebeen indicatedas including casings 26 and` 27 from which the conventional actuators 23' extendt They are conveniently mountedby a bracket 29 supporteduponsithe base 10. Switch `26 controlstthevtransmitter circuit and-switch 27 controls the receiver circuit.

Thereforeftif these-.switches are closed in this sequence;v

no induction pulse or connection occurs.

The `dial 15 is vmounted upon a bracket 3i) withone end of Ywhicha securing bolt.31 may be associated;

Accordingly, thatV end ot" the bracket may be fixed against movement with respect to the base `10 by having the threads ofthe securing element 31 engager-with `the threads vof a. socketed portionsecured to the base. The

opposite endtof thebrackct ishingedly supported as at 32` upona mounting 33 attixedto base 10. Also `supported byipivot 32 is a forli. member 34 theuarrn's of'which` underliethe plungers or actuators ,17. Fork 34`inay-be provided with..a central extension35. Aspring-c36 is interposed between this extension and an extension 37 forming a part of bracket 30. Accordingly, under the influence of spring 36 the arms of fork 34 will yieldingly bear against the base portions of actuators 17 and tend to normally maintain them in an elevated position. The movement of fork 34 is conveniently limited by incorporating a stop in this structure. This may embrace a portion 38 integral with the fork and contactible with the upper face of mounting 33.

Thus it is apparent that by loosening the securing element 31 bracket 30 may be swung from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to that shown in dot-anddash lines in that ligure. In the former position when actuators 17 are depressed they will cause fork member 34 to swing in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, by means of the extension or spring 39 secured to move with the fork the switches 26 and 27 will be sequentially actuated. When bracket 30 is swung upwardly then projection 37 will swing downwardly. This will not alone relieve the tension on spring 36 to allow fork "34 to shift downwardly but will also (as in Fig. 5) reshift them. In other words, the condition of these switches will be identical with that which they assume when the hand set is in position on the cradle and the cover mounted on the base. When the dial assembly is swung upwardly and the ends ofthe fork 34 moved downwardly, a'stop or supporting strip 40 may limit the downward movement of the plungers or actuators 17.

It will be obvious that when the parts are in normal position then the instrument may be employed in a conventional manner. Should it be necessary to adjust the parts and especially the biasing spring associated with the ringer unit, ready access may be obtained to the mechanism. This is achieved by simply removing the cover 12 and then loosening the securing element 31 after which bracket 30 and the dial 15 are swung upwardly to the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 3 substantially simultaneously with the removal of the hand set from the cradle portion. In such position both actuators 28 of switches 26 and 27 are depressed similarly to the manner in which they are retracted when the cover is mounted and the hand set is in position upon the cradle portion. Therefore, the operator at the switchboard will not be annoyed by undesired signal impulses. Also, the assembly is in a condition such that not only may incoming calls be received but also outgoing calls may be made. In either the latter instances it will of course be necessary to temporarily swing bracket 30 downwardly to a position at which the pressure on actuator 28 is relieved. With the bracket in raised position it is, of course, obvious that the technician will be able to obtain complete access to the assembly of apparatus mounted on the base.

Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention aforenoted are achieved. Obviously numerous changes in construction and rearrangement of the parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the claims.

We claim:

l. A telephone instrument including in combination a base, a dial movably mounted by said base to be shiftable towards and away from the same, a switch mounted by said base tov control the operation of said instrument and governing means connected to shift with said dial to control the operation of said switch.

2. A telephone instrument including in combination a base, a dial movably mounted by said base to be shiftable towards and away from the same, a switch mounted by said base to control the operation of said instrument, a hand set cradle upon said base, an actuator extending beyond the surfaces of said cradle to be engaged by a hand set and connected to control the'. operation of said switch and governing means connected to shift with said dial to operate said switch.

3. A telephone instrument including in combination a base, a dial movably mounted by said base to be shiftable towards and away from'the same, a switch mounted by said base to control the operation of said instrument, a hand set cradle upon said base, an actuator extending beyond the surfaces of said cradle to be engaged by a hand set and connected to control the operation of 4 said switch, the parts of said instrument being proportioned so that a removal of the hand set from said cradle is necessary at the time said dial is shifted, said actuator vbeing therefore inoperative to control the operation of said switch and governing means connected to shift with said dial and upon the removal of said hand set to operate said switch.

4. A telephone instrument including in combination a base, a cover mounted upon said base and removable therefrom, said cover being formed with an opening, a dial unit disposed Within said opening, a bracket hingedly mounted upon said base, said dial unit being supported by said bracket, a strip to overlie a circuit-controlling switch forming a part of said instrument for governing the operation of the latter and the means for connecting said strip with said bracket to move the former according to the movements of the latter.

5. A telephone instrument including in combination a base, a cover mounted upon said base and removable therefrom, said cover being formed with an opening, a dial unit disposed within said opening, a bracket hingedly mounted upon said base, said dial unit being supported by said bracket, a strip to overlie a circuit-controlling switch forming a part of saidinstrument for governing the operation of the latter, a member movably supported by said base and mounting said strip and means connecting said member and said bracket to shift the former and said strip responsive to the movements of said bracket.

6. A telephone instrument including in combination a base, a cover mounted upon said base and removable therefrom, said cover being formed with an opening, a dial unit disposed within said opening, a bracket hingedly mounted upon said base, said dial unit being supported by said bracket, a strip to overlie a circuit-controlling switch forming a part of said instrument for governing the operation of the latter, a member movably supported by said base and mounting said strip and means connecting said member and bracket to shift the former and said strip responsive to the movements of said bracket, a` cradle portion forming a part of said cover, a'movable actuator extending adjacent said cradle portion and means forming a part of said member to cooperate with said actuator and normally maintain it in projected position when said bracket is in a predetermined position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,899,445 Miller Feb. 28, 1933 2,186,078 Reid Jan. 9, 1940 2,279,713 McLarn Apr. 14, 1942 2,337,381 Fischer Dec. 21, 1943 2,546,334 Desnoes Mar. 27, 1951 2,558,699 Bjerknes June 26, 1951 2,603,719 Riche July 15, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Ericsson Review, vol. 12, page 98 (1935). 

